On 25 Jan 2009 at 4:09pm tesco fan wrote:
Wow! can't wait for new tesco extra to come to lewes.Yippee bring it on.
On 25 Jan 2009 at 4:56pm Supporter wrote:
Couldn't agree more, it's about time we had one. Won't have to go out of town to shop anymore!!
On 25 Jan 2009 at 5:23pm Weighty Rose wrote:
Tesco Extra? Oh please.....NO!
On 25 Jan 2009 at 6:17pm Supporter wrote:
What have you got against it WR? Do you have shares in Waitrose as that's probably the only place it will effect?
On 25 Jan 2009 at 7:12pm exiledfromLewes wrote:
Where is a Tesco Extra going?????????
On 25 Jan 2009 at 7:24pm Supporter wrote:
Where Tesco is now, they are just expanding.
On 25 Jan 2009 at 10:06pm Spinster Of This Parish wrote:
I think it's a shame that they are expanding.
I believe that the major supermarkets have destroyed many local businesses since they intorduced the "out of town" superstores in the 80's. Apart from shops being undercut to a level where trade is no longer sustainable, other businesses have suffered, eg petrol stations.
One of my main gripes about superstores is the enforced closure of local petrol stations. Poor quality fuel has undercut decent (higher priced) fuel - ultimately the person that pays is the consumer (as their vehicles will not run as efficiently and repair charges will escalate).
Also road safety has suffered as unless you live within 2 miles of a petrol station, it is unlikely that you continually maintain the correct air pressure in your tyres - thus reduced raod handling, fuel consumption and highway safety
On 26 Jan 2009 at 1:24am tesco extra exploitative wrote:
when you are buying your cheap throw away clothing etc in Tesco Extra, just remember why it is cheap. A bunch of poor exploited people made it. Would you let your kids work in a factory for a pound a week? (just do some googling on sweatshops to bring home the reality) Try buying something nicer, better made, from better quality materials, in a proper shop and notice how it may cost twice as much but looks nicer and last three or more times as long. That is good clever shopping, not this stuff, and can even save you money.
On 26 Jan 2009 at 7:46am Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:
I wouldn't care if I never set foot in Tescos again, but when faced with the alternatives of a 10 mile drive or Waitrose prices when you need a shedload of basics it sometimes becomes irresistible on grounds o conveninence alone.
Mind you, living the far side of the town centre from there, there have been many occasions when the journey to Tescos has taken me longer than the trip to Sainsburys at West Hove, which is far superior in every respect.
On 26 Jan 2009 at 9:23am Earl of Lewes wrote:
I remember getting lost when I was driving and parked in a town centre. I tried to find out where I was, but there were only the usual chain stores: WH Smith, Currys, Superdrug etc. I walked up and down the street but in the end I had to ask someone. It was Leatherhead.
Tesco Extra will be an asset for those of us on low incomes and who aren't able to drive out of town, but we have to accept that it will be the final nail in the coffin for the town centre. All we'll be left with is restaurants, charity shops, estate agents, antique shops and expensive boutiques. In fact that's almost all we have now.
On 27 Jan 2009 at 4:14am Expat two wrote:
Oddly enough Earl, I grew up in Leatherhead. Any local will tell you the soul of the town was stripped away when the town center was 'redeveloped' in the early 80's. It is an empty dormer town now, with nothing but winos and bar brawls to keep you entertained of a night time. Its why I left. It recently got rated in one of those (admittedly unscientific) polls as the worst UK town to live in. Whilst its, quite rightly, mocked for its overpriced emptiness, it once had a cachet quite similar to Lewes.
Tescos should be avoided if only for their nasty bully boy tactics towards those who expose their aggressive tax avoidance schemes, and their cover-ups. See their recent case against The Observer (which they ultimately lost).
On 27 Jan 2009 at 4:26pm bunty wrote:
o great another Tesco. Why cant we have a Morrisons?
On 27 Jan 2009 at 6:54pm Supporter wrote:
Do you work in a petrol station by any chance SOTP? And that's a great idea TEE... let's not buy cheap clothes anymore and then no one will need to employ those children and then those little children and their families can starve as there will be no income at all! You may not realise it in your 'fluffy little world' but even in Lewes their are some people that need to buy 'cheap throw away clothing' as there is a recession on and some people have to watch the pennies!
On 27 Jan 2009 at 10:31pm OAP wrote:
I agree with Supporter. I wish I'd thought of making my kids work for their keep, rather than sponging off me.
On 27 Jan 2009 at 11:56pm Spinster Of This Parish wrote:
If I worked in a petrol station I would be able to check my pressure on cold tyres (after a shift).
"Fluffy little world" - how dare you - I don't cost society anything - I have not brought hungry mouths into the world and get no tax credits.
Spinster discrimination I think!
On 28 Jan 2009 at 11:30am Tesco Extra exploitative wrote:
Supporter, you should read my post properly before you jump to conclusions.. My fluffy little world involves saving money, and not exploiting other people. Heres how it works. People on a very low budget (LIKE ME!)save up and buy one more expensive garment for twice as much as a cheap one, (lets say 40 quid instead of 20) but it lasts four times as long. So you see you get at least 80quids worth of Tesco wear for 40quid, and often a more expensive garment just will not fall apart, and you can wear it for years. Their stuff is cheap for a reason, and it is not because they want to support poor people. If they did, they would pay the people who made the clothes a proper wage. In my harsh unfluffy world, I think it is obscene to exploit other people, especially when all it takes is going without, whilst I save, and then buying garments made by people who get a fair wage. I don't mind deing disagreed with by you, but don't just project an opinion at me based on pressumptions about my income, and a failure to read my cost saving tip properly!
On 28 Jan 2009 at 1:19pm Neviller wrote:
I uaually trawl the charity shops,and do pretty well.But I would welcome a Tesco Extra,and really hope they do clothes.Maybe Tesco supports cheap labour in India and pays them more money.Has anyone checked? Primark is more of a bother,and once I saw the programe on the telly about India and how much they are paid per garment,I haven't shopped there since.And I can't afford to spend £20,let alone 40 for any item of clothing the moment.
I saw the programme about battery hens though,and now buy organic or free range birds,and I haven't eaten battery produced eggs for the same reason for about 2 years.So I'm slowly geting there.Anyway,TEe,how do you know that your 40 garment isn't being made in an exploitative way?
On 28 Jan 2009 at 9:41pm Supporter wrote:
Spinster I'm sure you've realised that comment wasn't for you. Neviller you talk a lot of sense.
I did take TEE's advice by the way and googled the sweatshops in India, 2 years ago some of them were being paid £1.50 a day (not 1 a week) which was apparently half of the going rate and a lot of the large companies (supposedly) didn't realise this. After all of the uproar these companies can no longer do this as they would get slated. There are people in this country getting paid half the going rate but no one is worrying about that! I don't agree with exploiting people but if you have ever been to India (I've been more than once) you will realise how low their cost of living is, people holiday there just to stock up on clothes, see Opticians, Dentists etc.because it is so cheap.
I know it's wrong that children are sent out to work but they live a different life to us, not so different really we used to send kids up chimneys didn't we.
The poverty is shocking in India but you should see it in some parts of Africa, I swear the children would be happy to work if it meant they would get regular meals and clean water to drink.
Anyway this is England and we are free to shop wherever we so wish!
On 29 Jan 2009 at 3:21pm Neviller wrote:
Just been Googling....
Tesco is a UK-based grocery and general merchandise retail chain. This year, it became the fourth largest retailer in the world. While Tesco is a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative, Indian garment workers who manufacture Tesco clothes work in sweatshop conditions, getting paid £1.50 a day (US $3.00) -- only half a living wage.
Last month, Tesco came under fire during its annual shareholder meeting, where celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall called on the company to improve the standards of care for its chickens. Only 8.9 percent of the shareholders voted for the measure while another 9.8 percent abstained from the vote.
This was dated July 2008.
Other retailers who came under attack for sweatshop exploitation were H&M,Gap,and Marks & Spencer and of course Primark.
I was surprised to see M&S on the list...
I'm saddened by the Tesco involvement and may have to think twice about buying clothes from Tesco Extra.
Shame....
On 29 Jan 2009 at 3:49pm Neviller wrote:
Interesting stuff I'm finding out...Italian designer wear such as Gucci,Prada and Dolce and Gabbana are being made in sweatshops in China...
Who would have thought it!
On 29 Jan 2009 at 5:37pm Supporter wrote:
That's it then can't clothes shop anymore, all the shops are dodgey... have to become naturists, What a horrible thought!
On 29 Jan 2009 at 11:10pm Tesco Extra Exploitative wrote:
Dont worry neviller, there are shops that make guilt free clothes, especially slightly more expensive clothes that are actually made in Europe. The Vintage route is reasonably ethical, and it is not all doom and gloom. You could go naked like supporter suggests, but that does seem to be a rather extreme response, and quite chilly.
Supporter. I can't help but sense your reluctance to agree that exploiting third world labour is a bad thing, but thanks for listening, and taking a look all the same. 1.50 is not bad a bad wage is it, per day, but I am afraid there are worse wages and lower. Some children live in the factory during a working 'week', and there 'home' is a coat hook and a space with other children on a cramped floor . Dickens couldn't have nade it up. Yes this is England, and we are lucky to shop where we like, which is why we should perhaps support a charity working with African childrn to save them from making cheap, and lets face it nasty, clothes for people too 'busy' to question where their stuff comes from. I am really saddened that you think that its OK to exploit people because we used to too. (You acknowledge that fact, and that it is not good) What you seem to be saying though is tough luck, and that if you were a Victorian person, you would fight social reformers in order to allow children to continue climbing up chimneys! Of course just you changing your shopping habits won't solve the problem, but at least think about the morals of it and be consistent in what you believe is acceptable and unacceptable. Morals values aren't things you can just shift and move around to suit your arguement.
On 30 Jan 2009 at 7:53pm Supporter wrote:
TEE I don't believe I said it was "OK to exploit people", in fact I believe my actual words were "I don't agree with exploiting people". And indeed I don't!
The point I was trying to get across was that although all of this is unacceptable to most of us, these families are poor beyond belief and any chance of earning an income however low gives them some hope of eating, if they can't get money they haven't got a prayer (they don't have benefits out there). I have seen documentaries on these sweatshops and I know that some of them are shocking. I also said that now people are aware of this going on the big stores have to watch themselves and so are more careful about what they get involved in.
I think it's insulting to say their produce is 'cheap and nasty' they can make some very nice clothes in these countries, with very nice natural materials.
I also didn't say that I agreed with the fact that in this country children used to get sent up chimneys, I just pointed out that it happened in this country too, and again it was only because people were so poor they had to get money from somewhere. We are fortunate not to know what it is like to be have ever been that poor.
And by the way... I never buy cheap clothes, I don't need to but I am aware that there are an awful lot of people out there on a tight budget!